Launching device.



R. L. SCOTT.

LAUNGHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11,1912.

1,069,905, Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

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R. L. SCOTT.

LAUNGHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1912.

1,069,905,, Patented Aug. 12, 1913@ 2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co. WASHINGTON, o, c

REESE L. SCOTT, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

LAUNCI-IING DEVICE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Application filed July 17, 1912. Serial No. 709,993.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, Burton L. SCOTT, citizen of the United Statesresiding at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of Californiahave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Launching Devices,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a launching apparatus to be used whenlaunching boats from a ship.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device by means ofwhich the boats may be launched without danger of the waves dashing themback against the sides of the ship thereby breaking them.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which will sendthe boats into the water with a good start, thus starting them away fromthe ship.

Another object of the invention is to so connect the boats with thelaunching device that they will at all times be held upon an even keelwhen descending the launching device and striking the water.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that theboats may be easily run off the launching'deck on to the launchingdevice and safely lowered down to the side of the ship to the pointwhere they are released to permit their entering the water.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the launching devicethat it may be swung out of the way when not in use. This device wouldnot only be used in case of accidents where it is desired to launch alarge number of boats with a greater speed and safety, but would also beused when ever it was desired to launch a boat to conduct a party fromthe ship to the shore or to another ship.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view showing the device in aposition to launch a boat, a second boat being in position to beconnected with the launching device when raised, and the dotted linesindicating the raised position of the launching device. Fig. 2 is afront elevation showing the device in a position to launch a boat. Fig.3 is a sectional View of the launching way. Fig. 4 is a sectional viewthrough the support upon which the boats are placed while on deck.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that thisinvention comprises a pair of standards 10 which are rotatably connectedwith the ship 11 and have their lower ends positioned in bearings 12.Arms extend from the upper ends of the stand ards 10 and are braced bymeans of the braces 14:.

A sliding frame shown in Fig. 2 is slidably mounted upon cables 15 whichhave their upper ends secured to the braces 14 and their lower endsconnected with the brackets 16 pivotally connected with the side of theship. This sliding frame comprises the upper bar 17 and the lower bar 18having their ends perforated so that the cables 15 may pass through thesame, thus slidably mounting the frame. The frame is braced by thevertical bars 19 which connect the upper and lower bars 17 and 18. A pin20 is positioned between the bars 17 and 18 intermediate the width ofthe sliding frame and serves a purpose which will be hereinafter broughtout.

The launching way comprises the si bars 21 which have their upper endsconnected by the crossbar 22 through which the pin 20 passes, thuspivotally connecting the launching track with the sliding frame. Thelower ends of the bars 21 are connected by a cross bar 23 and the sidebars are braced throughout their length by the trusses 24 which passover the struts 25. Tracks 25 are secured to the inner faces of the sidebars 21 so that the boat may slide down the launching track after thelaunching track and sliding frame have been lowered to the positionsshown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A cable 27 is wound upon a winding drum not shown and passed over apulley 28 with its lower end bifurcated to form the divisions 29connected with the end portions of the upper bar of the sliding frame.By turning the drum, the cable 27 will be wound or unwound, thus raisingand lowering the sliding frame. A second cable 80 is also wound uponthis winding drum and carried over the pulley wheels 28 and 31 and hasits free end portion divided to form the divisions 82 which areconnected with the lower outer ends of the side bars 21, thus supportingthe launching track. Oables 33 are also connected with the end portionsof the launching track and carried over pulleys 3a with their inner endwound upon the same drum as that which carries the cables alreadydescribed. It will thus be seen that when the cables are unwound thatthey will be unwound a similar amount thereby causing all of the cablesto be let out the same amount and permitting the sliding frame andlaunching trackto be lowered without the incline of the track beingchanged.

The boat 35 is mounted upon a sliding platform 36 between chocks 87which hold it in an upright-position. This sliding platform is providedwith rollers 38 which fit in the tracks 39. These tracks aresubstantially U-shape in cross section, thus preventing the platformfrom dropping over the side of the ship when launching the boat, sincethe rollers will come in contact with the upper flange of the track andprevent the platform from tilting. Hooks 40 are connected with the boat35 by means of the chains 41 and cables 42. The chains 41 support theweight of the boat and the cable 4:2 prevents the boat from slippinglongitudinally through the chains when sliding down the launching track.

When in operation a boat is placed upon the sliding platform and is thenfilled with people, it being understood that the launch ing track hasbeen previously swung to the position indicated by dotted lines of Fig.l. The sliding platform is then moved outwardly so that it extends overthe side of the ship and beneath the side bars 21. The hooks are thenconnected with the tracks 25 carried by the side bars 21 and thelaunching track raised a suflicient amount to swing the boat clear ofthe sliding platform which is then drawn back upon the ship and a secondboat placed upon the platform and filled with people. After the boat isfree of the platform the winding drum is rotated to release the cablesand the sliding frame and launching track will be lowered from theposition indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 to that shown in the fulllines shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The boat is held at the upper end of thelaunching track as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l by means of acable 4-3 which is secured to the connecting bar :22 and removablyconnected with the stern of the boat. As soon as the launching track islowered to such an extent that its outer edges are submerged in thewater a suflicient distance the occupant of the rear seat of the boatreleases the boat from the cable 13 and the boat will then travel downthe track 26 until it strikes the water.

From inspection of Fig. 1 it will be evident that the boat at all timeshangs upon an even keel so that when it strikes the water it will rideevenly and not plunge into the water. It will also be noted that theboat is headed away from the ship and travels down the launching trackwith suflicient speed to cause the boat to shoot out into the water andaway from the ship. Boats may be launched very rapidly and safely withthis apparatus. The passengers are placed in the boats before leavingthe ship and the boat is quickly and safely lowered down the side of theship and so placed in the water that they immediately start from theship due to the speed with which they come down the launching track.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is r 1. Alaunching device comprising a launching track, means for slidably andpivotally connecting said track with a vessel, means for regulating theincline of said track, and means for slidably connecting a boat withsaid track whereby the boat will hang upon an even keel.

2. A launching device comprising a set of standards, vertical cablesleading from said standards, a sliding frame slidably mounted upon saidcable, a launching track carried by said sliding frame, means for movingsaid sliding frame up and down said cables, and means for slidably andremovably connecting a boat with said launching track, whereby the boatby its own momentum will ride free of said track upon striking thewater.

3. A launching device comprising a set of standards, cables extendingfrom said standards, a sliding frame mounted upon said cable, means forregulating the movement of said sliding frame, alaunching track leadingfrom said sliding frame, means for slidably connecting a boat with saidtrack and holding the same upon an even keel, and means for regulatingthe angle of said track.

1. A launching device comprising a launching track, means for connectingsaid launching track with the side of a vessel to permit a verticalmovement, a boat supporting platform mounted upon the deck of a vesseland adapted to be moved out beneath said launching track, means forslidably connecting a boat with said track and disconnecting the boatfrom the platform, means for raising and lowering said track, and meansfor preventing sliding movement of the boat carrying means while saidtracks are being raised and lowered.

5. A launching device comprising a set of standards, cables leading fromsaid standards, a sliding frame slidably mounted upon said cables, alaunching track pivotally connected with said sliding frame, means forraising and lowering said sliding frame, means for supporting said trackand regulating the angle thereof, and means for slidably connecting aboat with said track.

6. A launching device comprising a set of standards pivotally connectedwith a ship, cables leading from said standards and having their lowerends connected with pivotally mounted brackets, a sliding frame slidablymounted upon said cables, said sliding frame comprising upper and lowerbars,

braces for holding said bars in spaced relation, a vertical pivot pinposition d between said upper and lower bars, a launching track havingits upper end pivotally connected with said pivot pin, a cable connectedwith said sliding frame for vertically adjusting the same, cablesconnected with the outer end portion of said track for supporting thesame and regulating the angle thereof, and flexible means for slidablyand removably connecting a boat with said track whereby the boat will atall times be held upon an even keel.

7. A launching device comprising a launching track having side bars,bars connecting the ends of said side bars, supporting tracks carried bysaid side bars, braces for said side bars to brace the same againstlongitudinal strain, means for slidably connecting said launching trackfor vertical movement upon a vessel, means for vertically adjusting saidlaunching track, means for slidably connecting a boat with the trackscarried by said side bars, and means for preventing movement of a boatdown the tracks when raising and lowering the launching track.

8. A launching device comprising a launching track, supporting trackscarried by said launching track, means for connecting said launchingtrack with a vessel to permit a vertical movement of the launchingtrack, cables adapted to be placed transversely about a boat, cables forlimiting the longitudinal movement of said first mentioned cables afterbeing placed about the boat, hooks for slidably and removably connectingsaid first mentioned cables with the tracks of said launching track, andmeans for preventing movement of the boat down the launching track whenraising and lowering the launching track.

9. A launching device comprising an inclined launching track slidablyconnected with the side of a vess l and extending away from the vesselwhen in use, and means for carrying a boat and slidably connecting aboat with said launching track whereby the boat will be released fromsaid track and will travel away from the vessel under its own momentumand enter the water upon an even keel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REEGE L. SCOTT.

WVitnesses:

FRANK H. CARTER, F. P. SoHRoEDnR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

